Tuesday 8 March 2005/... NCsoftTM Europe can today announce the details of qualification for the upcoming City Of VillainsTM European Beta. The scheme intends to reward loyal fans of City Of HeroesTM by giving them priority access to the Beta.

Created by Cryptic StudiosTM, City of Villains is the sequel to the critically acclaimed City of Heroes, which launched on February 4th in Europe.

The scheme will give priority to early adopters of City of Heroes in Europe. Those who signed up for a European City of Heroes account in the month following the European launch (Feb 4th to March 4th, 2005), and who have been subscribed to the game for at least six months by the time Beta starts will automatically earn a slot in the City of Villains European Beta.

For the slightly later starters, everyone who signs up for a European City of Heroes account during the rest of March (March 5th-31st), and who have pre-paid or have been subscribed to the game for at least six months by the time Beta starts will receive the next level of priority consideration for the beta testing program. A high character level in City of Heroes is not necessarily an advantage in the selection process.

"It makes sense for us to offer this incentive to our most dedicated players. Who else would be more capable of assisting us in the beta test than the folks most familiar with the way City of Heroes works?" says Jack Emmert, lead designer on City of Heroes. "The bottom line is that if you subscribe to the game and play regularly you have a better chance of getting a first look at City of Villains."

"Our players aren't really evil, but judging by the demand, they definitely want to play evil - and soon," says Stephen Reid, Content and Community Manager, NCsoft Europe. "We've tried to ensure that early access to City of Villains is granted in a fair and logical way."

City of Villains will provide players with a chance to play the "bad guy" in the comic-book inspired world created by Cryptic Studios. Take on the role of super-powered villains and create your own character using thousands of power and costume options. Then battle heroes and become a true menace to society while plotting your way to world domination.

More information on both City of Villains and City of Heroes is available at the official European web site:
http://eu.cityofheroes.com/

About NCsoft Europe
NCsoft Europe (NC-E) is headquartered in Brighton, England and is part of Korea-based NCsoft Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online games. NCsoft has already successfully established itself in North America, Japan, Taiwan, China and Thailand. NC-E began operations on 1st September 2004 and serves as a central hub for all NCsoft sales, marketing and distribution operations in Europe, via its European distribution network. NC-E launched LineageÂ® II in November 2004, City of HeroesTM on 4th February 2005 and Guild WarsÂ® is scheduled for 28th April 2005. More information about NCsoft Europe can be found at http://www.plaync.com.

About Cryptic Studios
Cryptic Studios, Inc., located in San Jose, California, was established in July of 2000 and is an independent developer of massively multiplayer online games for the PC and next generation consoles. Its first game, City of Heroes, launched in April 2004. The game takes place in a virtual world where thousands of people play simultaneously, take on the role of super-powered heroes, fight villains and help create a dynamic story in a visually-stunning, 3-D graphical world.

NCsoft, the interlocking NC logo, Guild Wars, ArenaNet, Lineage, and all associated NCsoft logos and designs are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation. City of Heroes and City of Villains is a trademark of Cryptic Studios, Inc. and NCsoft Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.